Columbia Pictures; Courtesy Everett Collection
Central Park Romance
Daytime Date Ideas to Help You Navigate Your Love Life
Have you recently met someone and are looking for ideas on how to meet up? Perhaps the pandemic nudged you into online dating. Whether you are meeting someone for the first time or perhaps you are further along in the getting-to-know each other stage, here are a few daytime date ideas that you can do in Central Park!
1. So you’ve met once in a coffee shop and even though it was slightly painful, you’ve decided to meet again because you know you need to give things a chance. How about an hour at the zoo? The Central Park Zoo requires timed tickets so there’s your excuse for setting a date and time to meet and sticking to it. Let’s face it, the zoo will put a smile on anybody’s face no matter the circumstances. Let's imagine you are the nervous type and are anticipating awkward silences - no worries there - you have the animals to focus your attention on! If your brain freezes and you can’t think of anything to say, just point and grin at the lemurs. If you are asking yourself, why did I make a second date with this person?? Just point and grin at the lemurs. You get the point, the animals will assist you no matter what you need.
2. Regardless of your sexual preferences, gender associations or role playing, often times someone wants to play the hero and someone wants to be the damsel in distress. Be your date’s hero and escort them on a walk through the North Woods. They’ll marvel at your outdoor survival skills. You’ll impress them with your knowledge of flora and fauna (and the location of the closest rest room). Map out your route ahead of time and you will be sure to dazzle.
3. Three dates in and you’re thinking maybe I’ve hit the jackpot, maybe this could be the real deal, but then again, maybe not. Is it my imagination or do they only talk about their job? But, that face is gorgeous! (I think) It’s kind of hard to tell with these masks. Make a date for a boat rental from the Loeb Boathouse. For an hour or more you’ll be sitting face to face, a good 6 feet away, outdoors, so off with the masks so you can study each other’s faces until your pheromones let you know their opinion.
4. You’ve reached the part where you, your date, and your pheromones all agree, (see #3) we like each other. Get someone else to do the heavy lifting and plan a catered, set up a romantic picnic. All you have to do is show up. They will even clean up after you. That right there can fool your date into thinking, "Oh yeah, Easy Street looks good on me".
5. All good things must end, right? I mean, we guess. What could work faster to lose your date (without ghosting) than taking them ice skating and laughing every time they fell on their bum? After much consideration, you’re thinking maybe that swipe is not the one. Be an adult and let them make the decision if they’ve had enough. Note: this works best if you are Johnny Weir on skates and they are not.